Antibiotic resistance is an urgent issue of global concern, and this growing epidemic is directly related to the level of antibiotic use. A key contributing factor to antibiotic misuse in patients with wounds is diagnostic uncertainty, i.e. is there a bacterial infection in this wound? At the recent EWMA and Wounds Canada Kamloops meetings, Rosemary Hill, BSN CWOCN CETN(C) summarized how bacterial fluorescence imaging with the MolecuLight i:X has improved her antimicrobial stewardship capabilities in a series of patients with diverse wounds.

MolecuLight i:X images prevented unwarranted use of antibiotics and also demonstrated the need for antibiotics in several asymptomatic patients who were about to be discharged from hospital. Rosemary Hill concluded that “Real-time, point-of-care bacterial fluorescence images facilitated evidence-based deployment of systemic antibiotics and also prevented their unnecessary use. This case series highlights the potential of this handheld imaging device to provide invaluable, real-time information regarding the pathogenic state of a wound that can guide appropriate use of antibiotics and facilitate antimicrobial stewardship.”